NBA

Ex-NBA superstar Steve Francis pled guilty to 1 count of driving while intoxicated stemming from a crazy Nov. 2016 arrest ... but he ain't going back to the slammer.

Francis appeared in a Houston courtroom Tuesday and pled guilty to the misdemeanor DWI charge. In exchange, he got 3 days in jail -- but the judge gave him credit for time served so he won't go back.

He was also fined $1,000 and his driver's license has been suspended for 1 year.

As we previously reported, Francis was initially pulled over in a black Chevy Tahoe for speeding -- but during the stop, the cop noticed he reeked of booze. Francis was also verbally abusive and allegedly vowed REVENGE on the arresting officers.

How do you rebound from blowing a 26 point lead in the 4th quarter? If you're LeBron James ... you hit the club!!

Bron -- along with J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson -- hit up LIV nightclub in Miami hours after the Cavs lost to the Atlanta Hawks in ATL.

It was a shocking loss since the Cavs were up 26 points going into the 4th quarter. The game went into overtime where the Hawks put 'em away.

But after the final buzzer, the guys got on a jet and flew to Miami and partied with the likes of boxing star Adrien Broner.

The Cavs play the Miami Heat on Monday -- but LeBron will reportedly sit the game out to rest up.

Before Karl-Anthony Towns and his Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Lakers this weekend, he was rollin' on Rodeo Drive with his smokin' hot girlfriend, Kawahine Andrade.

If you don't know her ... you're welcome for this.

Kawahine is a fitness model with an insane physique. She often flaunts it on the 'Gram. You should probably click the follow button.

Couldn't happen but notice Kawahine and Karl-Anthony were right by the Cartier store ... which specializes in diamonds and rings.

Just sayin' ...

DeMarcus Cousins just threw some shade at ex-UCLA star (and possible #1 NBA pick) Lonzo Ball ... hitting him with the dreaded "never heard of him" when we got Cousins out in L.A.

We asked Boogie for his top NBA draft prospects, and he went with De'Aaron Fox & Malik Monk ... two 1st round locks from his alma mater, Kentucky, the team that ousted UCLA in the tourney.

But it was when our camera guy asked about Ball -- the most talked about player in the draft -- that the shot came ... and it was a clear one.

Donald Trump and LeBron James are brothers from another mother, according to a congressman from LBJ's home state that says the two men have more in common than the King might think ... or like.

It's no secret Bron's been critical of the prez, even hinting that he might not show up at the White House to meet the top man if the Cavs should win the NBA title again this year.

We got Representative Bill Johnson of Ohio out in D.C. -- a big fan of both men -- and tried to mend fences by asking if there's anything Trump and James actually have in common.

Clippers sharpshooter J.J. Redick says he won't miss on keeping Blake Griffin & Chris Paul in L.A. ... and says he'll do everything he can to keep them from bolting LA LA land.

We got Redick out in BH and asked him a series of questions about the state of Clippers hoops ... which is up in the air with both Chris and Blake being free agents this summer.

Lots of people say it might be time for the Clippers to break things up and start over, but when we asked J.J. if he'd do everything in his might to stop that ... his answer was a simple "yes."

NBA player Tony Allen LOVES him some LaVar Ball, like he REALLY loves him ... so much that he tells TMZ Sports he thinks he would've been the first pick in the NBA draft ... had Ball been his dad.

We got Tony out in L.A. and when we brought up Ball to him, the former NBA champ couldn't stop gushing, saying he wished there were more dads like LaVar in the black community.

Allen then says he longed for that type of support -- he had a relationship with his dad, but was raised by a single mom in Chicago -- claiming Ball's controversial parenting would've made him even greater.

"If my daddy would've been like that, I'd have probably went #1."

OLD-SCHOOL BASKETBALL BEEF!!

Charles Oakley is firing back at Dennis Rodman for criticizing LeBron James ... and he's hitting The Worm below the skirt.

Rodman made headlines earlier this week for telling CBS Sports that Michael Jordan would NEVER takes games off in the middle of the season ... unlike LeBron.

Dennis insinuated Jordan was tougher than James ... and he cussed a lot to make his point.

The comments didn't sit well with Oakley -- one of MJ's closest friends -- who issued this retort:

"I think LeBron is smart, you don't have to be tough to play basketball Miss wedding dress."

Calling Rodman soft 'cause he wore women's clothing? Wanna rethink that, Oak?

Atlanta Hawks player Thabo Sefolosha has struck a settlement with the 5 NYPD officers involved in his violent 2015 arrest outside of an NYC nightclub ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The terms of the settlement are confidential. A judge has officially dismissed the lawsuit as a result of the settlement.

We spoke with Thabo's attorney Alex Spiro who tells us, "We are glad this matter is resolved."

Sefolosha suffered a broken fibula and ligament damage when he and then-teammate Pero Antic were taken into custody outside 1 OAK on April 8 ... after another NBA player had been stabbed in a separate incident.

Sefolosha was initially charged with obstructing justice, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest -- but he took the case to trial and was eventually exonerated.

In his suit, Sefolosha accused the NYPD officers of false arrest, excessive force, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment.

He also claims the incident was a "racial matter" -- and according to ESPN, he specifically referenced his African descent and the hoodie he was wearing that night.

Shawn Marion has 2 words for the people attacking Lonzo Ball's shooting motion -- "F*ck 'em."

The ex-NBA star can relate to Ball in the sense that people "sarcastically" poked fun at his unorthodox shooting style back when he was playing in the league.

For the record, Marion says there were a bunch of NBA players who took shots at his form -- "but not during the game cause I be busting their ass."

Now, with LeBron James clowning Ball -- Marion says the future NBA star has to follow suit ... keep hitting shots and everyone else will pipe down.

Detroit Pistons star Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was surprisingly calm for a guy suspected of DUI ... at least, it seemed that way in the video of his arrest, obtained by TMZ Sports.

Kentavious was arrested in the early hours of March 29 -- after the Pistons had lost to the Miami Heat.

KCP was initially pulled over for speeding -- but during the stop, the officer explains to the NBA star that he smelled booze and his eyes were glossy.

Caldwell-Pope explained that he only had 2 drinks that night -- two glasses of Hennessy -- but says he specifically kept his drinking in check because he knew he had to drive.

At one point, it sounds like Kentavious calls himself a "lightweight."

Nick Young's turning women off that baller life ... just ask his ex-GF.

We got Paloma Ford leaving Nightingale Plaza in L.A. (looking STUNNING, btw) -- and the singer gave some advice for women looking to date a professional athlete -- don't.

FYI, Nick and Paloma started dating back in September -- but the relationship fizzled in January.

Don't worry, things are working out just fine for Ford -- she recently signed with Master P and has some secret projects in the works.

Now that Shaq has a statue in front of STAPLES Center ... it's only a matter of time before Kobe Bryant gets his. But there's one BIG question -- what number will Mamba's statue wear?!

Kobe's old teammate, Derek Fisher, has an easy solution ... DOUBLE 'EM UP! One statue for #8 and another for #24.

By the way, a similar issue has been raised when it comes to which jersey the Lakers will retire. Bryant told ESPN, "[Whichever number they choose] it'll be pretty hard for someone else to wear the other one."

Detroit Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was arrested early Wednesday morning for DUI ... hours after the Pistons lost ANOTHER game.

24-year-old Caldwell-Pope was initially pulled over in Auburn Hills, Michigan at 2:50 AM for going 45 in a 25 -- but during the stop, cops say they could smell the alcohol on Kentavious.

According to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports, KCP admitted to having 2 drinks of Hennessey at a bar earlier in the evening.

The officer administered field sobriety tests -- KCP didn't do great -- and he was arrested for DUI. After he was taken to a nearby station, Kentavious took a breathalyzer test -- and blew a .08.

Cops say the NBA player was "very cooperative."

Good news for LeBron James ... Nelly totally gets why NBA teams are resting their marquee players, saying the guys are playing a ton of minutes and need a break sometimes.

Bad news for Lebron James ... Nelly ain't with NBA teams resting their marquee players, saying he'd be super bummed if he took his son to a game, and the big stars were missing.

Nelly said both things when he was out at LAX, and it's clear the competitive athlete in him is having a vicious battle with the loving dad in him.

Swaggy P got the stripper treatment during his rookie hazing back in 2007 ... and Gilbert Arenas just provided the photo proof.

Nick Young was a 1st round pick of the Washington Wizards -- where Arenas was a superstar at the time.

One of the hazing rituals Young had to endure ... he was hog-tied in his hotel room surrounded by cash.

Arenas called it "50 Shades of Nick" and added, "Welcome to stripping game playa."